Advancements in communications technologies have permitted the implementation of new types of communications devices. The new types of communications devices may be portable and may be carried by hand or used in a vehicle. When used in a vehicle, it may be desired that the device be mounted in a location that is easily accessible by the user of the portable device, either for hands-free operation or for easy grasping and access for normal operation. Since the user of a portable device may own more than one vehicle, it may be desirable that the user be able to mount a particular portable device in each of the user's vehicles quickly and easily and be able to remove the mounted portable device quickly and easily from each vehicle. At the same time, it may also be desirable that the user of the particular portable device be able to do the same for another portable device that differs from that particular portable device in size and shape.
Because even portable devices of the same manufacturer differ drastically in size and shape, it may be difficult to create a mounting system for all portable devices for installation in each vehicle that could be used by a user who owns or uses many different devices. Each portable device could conceivably require a completely different mounting system from that required by another portable device. The situation is complicated by the fact that the interior compartments of vehicles differ in the available types of surfaces on which a mounting system could be mounted within the vehicle. The situation is also complicated by the fact that many mounting systems require permanent installation.